On display through June 2010

KIM L. MERRIMAN:  Exhibit of hand-made glass
and metal now on display in Lt. Governor’s office

A display of the glass and metal artistry of Kim Merriman, a longtime legislative staffer who left her job to pursue a full-time career in her craft, is now on display in the Office of Lt. Governor Brad Owen.

“I really do feel honored to be able to display in the lieutenant governor’s office because it is such a grand space,” said Merriman, a resident of Olympia who spent 20 years in state Senate offices and in government relations work for The Evergreen State College.  “And it’s like coming home.”

 “I traded in power suits and heels for power tools and steel,” adds Merriman.  Merriman is also active in the Olympia arts and theater community, serving on the board of the Patrons of South Sound Cultural Activities and on the Harlequin Theater Productions board.   Her 70 site-specific corporate and residential arts commissions have taken her to locations around the world.

Merriman’s glass and metal creations are designed as interior or exterior installations with light in mind. All of her designs are intended to be highlighted with natural light by day and artificial light by night, creating distinct moods from morning into the night. 

Her works have been featured at the Pacific Northwest Flower and Garden show as well as in different exhibitions around the South Sound area, as well as in different publications across the U.S. Merriman said her inspiration comes from the natural world around her and from “living around such a rich arts culture.”  She said she also draws her creativity from the vistas from her home on Eld Inlet. 

“I call my sculptures 'glass scapes' as I use the environment and vistas around me as inspiration,” she said. 

“Merlot Sky” is from Merriman’s “Vineyard” series, inspired after a trip to the Napa Valley in California.

The show is the latest display by the Lt. Governor’s Art Council.  Chaired by Linda Owen, wife of the lieutenant governor, the council selects Washington artists for its displays and changes the selections quarterly.  Merriman’s work is scheduled to be on exhibit through June.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located in Room 220 of the Legislative Building (State Capitol), 416 Sid Snyder Avenue S.W. in Olympia.

More of the artist’s work can be found on her web site at http://KimMerrimanArt.com

For more information contact:                                  

Office of Lt. Governor: Brian Dirks (360) 786-7707 or dirks.brian@leg.wa.gov